AeroVironment wins charging station contract with Ford

The company, which has a factory in Simi Valley and has gained most of its attention for making small drones used by the military and other agencies, has been named Ford’s sole preferred installer and authorized supplier of charging station for the Ford Focus Electric, C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi plug-in electric vehicles.

Under the contract, AeroVironment will also provide warranty service and on-site support for customers.

Buyers of the cars and Ford’s 240-volt charger will be able to call AeroVironment at 888-219-6747 to schedule installation. There also will be a website for buying home charging stations and ordering home charging packages, AeroVironment said.

The 240-volt charger will cut charge time by more than half for the plug-in vehicles, according to a news release. The C-MAX Energi and Fusion Energi will recharge in 2½ hours, and the Focus Electric will charge in less than four hours, according to AeroVironment. Charging the focus through use of a standard 120-volt wall outlet will take 18 to 20 hours.

With headquarters in Monrovia, AeroVironment has sold more than 11,000 charging stations.